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Fusion in Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2016 | 09/01/2017

Fusion energy was in the spotlights – or fairy lights – over the Christmas holidays, as Culham CEO Ian Chapman (right) appeared in an edition of the famous Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, aired on 26 December.

It's 80 years since the Christmas Lectures first broadcast on the BBC in 1936, making it the world's oldest science TV series. This year's lectures featured University of Bath Professor of Materials chemistry Saiful Islam on a ‘quest' for energy – 'Supercharged: Fuelling the Future'.

On his way from candlelight to solar energy, he meets with Ian Chapman who almost literally brings him fusion on a platter, in the form of CCFE's own plasma demonstrations: a fusor, designed by a team of Culham graduates, and a spectacular plasma tube built by engineer Phil Leichauer.

Ian Chapman was delighted to take part and said: “I remember watching the Christmas Lectures as a child – back then and still today they really excite young people interested in science. It was a real privilege to contribute to this year's lecture. I was delighted that fusion was highlighted as a potential game-changer for the future energy portfolio."